Academy of Medical Sciences

The Academy of Medical Sciences is an organisation established in the UK in 1998. Its stated objectives are to improve health through research and promote benefits for society from medical science, attempting to influence policy, link state and commercial health and research organisations, and encourage dialogue about the medical sciences.

The Academy was established following the recommendations of a working group chaired by Michael Atiyah, former president of the Royal Society. A single national organisation was formed to support biomedical scientists and clinical academics working together to promote advances in medical science. It is one of the five learned academies in the United Kingdom, with the Royal Society, Royal Academy of Engineering, British Academy and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. The intention of the founders was to create a national resource outside the framework of Government, with the expertise and authority to deal with scientific and societal aspects of public policy issues in healthcare.

The formation of the Academy occurred against a backdrop of increasing fragmentation and specialisation within the medical profession.